The Trump administration has finalized its policy allowing employers to opt out of offering birth control coverage to workers. (Photo: Getty)
Women's Rights Groups Vow to Fight Back After Trump Throws 'Bone to Anti-Choice Base' After Midterms
"Yesterday the American people overwhelmingly said healthcare was their number one concern. Not even 24 hours later, Trump is attacking our reproductive right."
Women's rights groups vowed to fight the Trump administration's official policy allowing some companies to opt out of providing birth control coverage to female employees, after the policy was finalized late Wednesday.
Religious organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses will be able to refuse coverage to women due to so-called "religious or moral objections"--reversing an Obama-era policy under the Affordable Care Act which required employers to cover contraception as part of basic preventative healthcare.
"On the heels of an election that saw major pro-choice gains in governors' mansions, the House of Representatives, and in state houses across the country, the Trump administration is throwing a bone to its anti-choice base in a disgraceful effort to roll back reproductive healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of Americans," said Adrienne Kimmel, vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "This rule, which gives practically any employer a license to discriminate against their employees, reflects a backwards ideology, and one that women across the country last night made clear they will not stand for."
The attorneys general of California and Pennsylvania sued the Trump administration over the policy proposal last year, with the latter, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, accusing Trump of undermining "the health and economic independence of American women."
" Donald Trump wants businesses and corporations to control family planning decisions rather than a woman in consultation with her doctor. These anti-women's health regulations prove once again that the Trump administration is willing to trample on people's rights," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra at the time. "What group of Americans will they target next? Will they allow businesses to deny you cancer treatment?"
Nationwide injunctions were granted in both cases, which are now pending in appeals courts.
On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood called on Americans to ask lawmakers to speak out forcefully against the policy and called it a clear assault on the Affordable Care Act's provisions.
"Yesterday the American people overwhelmingly said healthcare was their number one concern," said Dr. Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, referring to the midterm elections. "Not even 24 hours later, Trump is attacking our reproductive rights, hoping that by denying birth control he can gut the ACA. We won't let him."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Women's rights groups vowed to fight the Trump administration's official policy allowing some companies to opt out of providing birth control coverage to female employees, after the policy was finalized late Wednesday.
Religious organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses will be able to refuse coverage to women due to so-called "religious or moral objections"--reversing an Obama-era policy under the Affordable Care Act which required employers to cover contraception as part of basic preventative healthcare.
"On the heels of an election that saw major pro-choice gains in governors' mansions, the House of Representatives, and in state houses across the country, the Trump administration is throwing a bone to its anti-choice base in a disgraceful effort to roll back reproductive healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of Americans," said Adrienne Kimmel, vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "This rule, which gives practically any employer a license to discriminate against their employees, reflects a backwards ideology, and one that women across the country last night made clear they will not stand for."
The attorneys general of California and Pennsylvania sued the Trump administration over the policy proposal last year, with the latter, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, accusing Trump of undermining "the health and economic independence of American women."
" Donald Trump wants businesses and corporations to control family planning decisions rather than a woman in consultation with her doctor. These anti-women's health regulations prove once again that the Trump administration is willing to trample on people's rights," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra at the time. "What group of Americans will they target next? Will they allow businesses to deny you cancer treatment?"
Nationwide injunctions were granted in both cases, which are now pending in appeals courts.
On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood called on Americans to ask lawmakers to speak out forcefully against the policy and called it a clear assault on the Affordable Care Act's provisions.
"Yesterday the American people overwhelmingly said healthcare was their number one concern," said Dr. Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, referring to the midterm elections. "Not even 24 hours later, Trump is attacking our reproductive rights, hoping that by denying birth control he can gut the ACA. We won't let him."
Women's rights groups vowed to fight the Trump administration's official policy allowing some companies to opt out of providing birth control coverage to female employees, after the policy was finalized late Wednesday.
Religious organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses will be able to refuse coverage to women due to so-called "religious or moral objections"--reversing an Obama-era policy under the Affordable Care Act which required employers to cover contraception as part of basic preventative healthcare.
"On the heels of an election that saw major pro-choice gains in governors' mansions, the House of Representatives, and in state houses across the country, the Trump administration is throwing a bone to its anti-choice base in a disgraceful effort to roll back reproductive healthcare access for hundreds of thousands of Americans," said Adrienne Kimmel, vice president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. "This rule, which gives practically any employer a license to discriminate against their employees, reflects a backwards ideology, and one that women across the country last night made clear they will not stand for."
The attorneys general of California and Pennsylvania sued the Trump administration over the policy proposal last year, with the latter, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, accusing Trump of undermining "the health and economic independence of American women."
" Donald Trump wants businesses and corporations to control family planning decisions rather than a woman in consultation with her doctor. These anti-women's health regulations prove once again that the Trump administration is willing to trample on people's rights," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra at the time. "What group of Americans will they target next? Will they allow businesses to deny you cancer treatment?"
Nationwide injunctions were granted in both cases, which are now pending in appeals courts.
On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood called on Americans to ask lawmakers to speak out forcefully against the policy and called it a clear assault on the Affordable Care Act's provisions.
"Yesterday the American people overwhelmingly said healthcare was their number one concern," said Dr. Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, referring to the midterm elections. "Not even 24 hours later, Trump is attacking our reproductive rights, hoping that by denying birth control he can gut the ACA. We won't let him."